Police: MC Hammer's Bay Area arrest stemmed from expired tags

February 25, 2013, 4:24PM

02/25/2013

DUBLIN — A sheriff's department spokesman in the Bay Area says a Dublin police officer stopped and then arrested MC Hammer because the '90s rap star was driving a car with expired registration and refused to get out of the vehicle.

Lt. Herb Walters of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said in a statement issued Monday that Hammer was "very argumentative" with the officer during the traffic stop late Thursday. He says it's unclear who owns the car.

Hammer eventually came out of the car and was arrested for investigation of obstructing an officer in the performance of his duties.

Hammer, who was born Stanley Burrell, has offered a different account, suggesting he was the victim of racial profiling. He tweeted on Saturday that the officer asked him if he were on parole or probation and tried to pull him out through the car window.